Can I appeal my FAFSA results? SAI score is way too high

yep u can appeal it! its called a special circumstances appeal or professional judgment review. happened to my brother last year

Yes, you can definitely appeal your FAFSA results through what's called a Professional Judgment (PJ) process. This is specifically designed for situations like yours where your current financial situation is different from what was reported on your tax returns. Here's what you need to do: 1. Contact your college's financial aid office directly - each school handles these appeals differently 2. Prepare documentation of your dad's job loss (termination letter, unemployment benefits statements) 3. Document your current family income with pay stubs 4. Write a clear letter explaining the change in circumstances 5. Be prepared to fill out school-specific forms The key is demonstrating that your current financial situation is substantially different from what the FAFSA shows. The financial aid administrator has the legal authority to adjust your SAI based on these special circumstances.

The "professional judgment" is just a fancy term for the financial aid administrator being allowed to make adjustments to your FAFSA data. They're literally using their professional judgment to decide if your case qualifies for an adjustment. The problem is that this process is ENTIRELY at the discretion of your school. Some schools are really good about it, others are HORRIBLE. I've seen people with identical situations get completely different outcomes depending on which school they attend. Based on what you described (dad lost job after filing taxes), you have a strong case. But start the process ASAP because it can take WEEKS or even MONTHS to resolve depending on how efficient your aid office is.

I work in a university financial aid office, and I handle these cases regularly. What you're describing is absolutely a valid reason for an appeal. A few important points: 1. The process is called a "Professional Judgment" (PJ) review or sometimes a "Special Circumstances Appeal" 2. This is handled at the school level, not through FAFSA directly 3. You'll need to document both your previous situation (tax returns) and current situation (unemployment documentation) 4. Each school has their own forms and processes 5. Most importantly: FILE AT EVERY SCHOOL YOU'RE CONSIDERING. The results at one school don't transfer to others. Your situation (job loss after FAFSA filing) is one of the most common and straightforward appeals we handle. Just make sure your documentation is thorough and clearly shows the change in income. Timing-wise, at my institution it typically takes 2-3 weeks once all documentation is received, but this varies widely by school.

I JUST went through this exact process!!! The professional judgment review is a NIGHTMARE of paperwork, but absolutely worth it if your circumstances have changed. The most frustrating part is that every school handles it differently. One school I applied to literally just wanted a letter explaining what happened plus my dad's termination paperwork. Another school wanted TWO YEARS of bank statements, utility bills, and made us fill out a monthly expense report to account for every penny we spend!!! My SAI dropped from $18,900 to $3,200 after the appeal, which made me eligible for WAY more aid. But it took FOREVER (almost 8 weeks at one school). BTW - your financial aid package can be totally different at different schools even with the same SAI. One school gave me almost nothing even after the appeal, another nearly a full ride!!!

My cousin had to do this when her mom lost her business during COVID. Make sure you keep COPIES OF EVERYTHING you submit! Her school "lost" her documents twice and she had to restart the whole process. So frustrating. She was smart enough to have everything scanned though so it wasn't a total disaster. Still took like 3 months to resolve though. Good luck!

I want to add something important: if your appeal is denied at first, you can appeal AGAIN. Many students don't realize this. If you get a rejection, ask specifically why it was denied, address those issues, and submit again. Sometimes it's just a matter of providing additional documentation or explaining your situation more clearly. Also, make sure you're talking to an actual financial aid counselor or advisor at your school, not just the front desk staff. The counselors have the authority to make these judgment calls and can be more helpful in explaining exactly what they need to approve your appeal.

I'm new to this whole financial aid process and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea that professional judgment appeals were even a thing. My family's situation is similar - my mom's hours got cut drastically at her job right after we filed our FAFSA, and our SAI seems way too high for what we can actually afford now. Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key is being persistent and having really good documentation. I'm definitely going to start gathering all the paperwork now before I even contact my school's financial aid office. The tip about keeping copies of everything and following up weekly is really helpful too. One question though - for those who went through this process, did you have to provide proof of your monthly expenses too, or just the income change documentation? Some of the stories here mention expense reports and I want to make sure I'm prepared for whatever they might ask for. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this gives me hope that there might be a way to make college affordable after all!

Welcome to the community, Ivanna! I'm glad this thread has been helpful for you. Regarding your question about expense documentation - it really varies by school. Some schools only want proof of the income change (like termination letters, reduced hour documentation, pay stubs showing the difference), while others do ask for detailed monthly expense breakdowns. From what I've seen, most schools start with just the income change documentation and then might ask for expense reports if they need more clarity on your family's financial situation. I'd recommend starting with gathering proof of your mom's hour reduction (official letter from employer, comparison of old vs new pay stubs) and then being prepared to provide expense documentation if they request it. The fact that you're thinking ahead and gathering documents before contacting the aid office puts you in a great position. That proactive approach will definitely help speed up the process once you submit your appeal. Good luck with everything!

I'm going through something similar right now! My dad's small business basically collapsed in January (way after we filed our taxes), and our SAI came back ridiculously high too. I started the professional judgment process at my school about 3 weeks ago and it's been a rollercoaster. One thing I wish someone had told me earlier - when you call the financial aid office, ask them to email you a checklist of exactly what documents they need. Every person I talked to seemed to want something slightly different, and I ended up submitting way more paperwork than necessary at first. Getting that official list saved me so much time and confusion. Also, if your school has a student financial services website, check if they have the PJ forms available for download. Mine did, but it was buried like 5 pages deep and not easy to find. Having the forms filled out ahead of time when I called made the whole conversation much more productive. The waiting is the worst part honestly, but reading everyone's success stories here gives me hope that it'll work out. Fingers crossed for both of us!